The Last Elements
by DarkHorcruxGirl1997
Summary: When the Spirit World is dying due to irresponsible actions, the only thing left to do is for the release of the Elements. For decades, the Elements travel the world to find a replacement Avatar and they finally found them in the form of 4 very different teens. Now only they can stop the growing force that threatens life itself. Will they succeed? Or will they fail?
1. Chapter 1

The Last Elements

A.N: My first crack at an Avatar: The Last Airbender fanfic. It is A.U in which Korra never existed and the new Avatar dies straight off the bat, basically leaving the world in chaos. The new Avatar needs to be found but it's very unconventional in the way that it happens….anyway please R&R!

Prologue

Avatar Lorca screamed in pain as a giant earthen spear shot through her back. Before she could even begin to extract the now broken off tip from her chest, the ground beneath her rose suddenly, shooting her into the air, where a barrage of stones was headed her way. She acted quickly, whipping water around herself from her pouch in a shield that quickly hardened into ice. The rocks repelled off of the shield but the ice cracked and Lorca was sent to plummeting to the ground. She landed with a sickening crunch of one of her ribs. She stood up slowly as her opponent chuckled in the distance. In the setting sun, he looked tall and intimidating.

"Poor little girl." He said. He clicked his tongue and shook his head, taking slow, deliberate steps towards her. "Trying to deal with forces that she can't handle."

"I am the Avatar!" She called out weakly. Her vision was blurring; blood was seeping out of the wound in her chest at an alarming rate. Her breath was ragged and it took a tremendous amount of effort to simply keep upright. "Boa, I command you to stand down now or you will be destroyed!" She summoned a gush of water and shot it at him in an attempt to prove her point, but it fell to the ground before it even got to him.

"Please, stop! I'm simply _trembling_ in my boots." The man named Boa said. He smirked, getting steadily closer to her. Lorca stumbled back, pressing herself into the tall rough structure of the mountain base.

"Have you even bothered to master the other elements?" He asked curiously. Lorca didn't answer. She placed her hands behind her back and let the last of her water from her pouch trickle over her arms and hands, creating thin but deadly sharp blades.

"I suppose that's a no. It's a shame I'll have to kill you. You're so young, and so much potential….but it must be done. The cycle of the Avatar has gone on too long; you have failed in your job. The world is in turmoil and you're more of a hindrance than a help."

"You haven't given me enough time!" Lorca protested.

"_You've had nothing but time!_" Boa roared. "You've known that you were the Avatar since you were very young. You're almost an adult, and yet you don't even have a basic grasp over the other three." Lorca stayed silent and Boa knew he hit a nerve. He sighed, now coming up to her. He brushed strands of her hair away form her eyes, staring into them. His hand slowly caressed her cheek before coming to her neck, gripping around it tightly. He squeezed and started to raise her off the ground. He twirled around, dragging her with her. The sun cast her body into shadow. Lorca struggled, but only by a little, trying to wait until the right time to strike.

"Poor sweet Lorca…." Boa murmured. He continued to squeeze. Wheezing sounds slowly escaped from her as she tried to get at least a little air in, but couldn't.

"I'm sorry to do this…I love y—" He was stopped mid sentence. He grinned at her in surprise yet his eyes flashed in pain. They drifted down to his abdomen where two long icicles had pierced him. The points of the weapons were imbedded deeply in him, but had not gone completely through.

"Why…aren't you the feisty one?" He asked, and then threw her. She crashed into a boulder with such momentum that cracks appeared on impact. Boa reached down, taking out the bloody icicles quickly. He threw them to the ground then crushed them both beneath the heel of his boot. He looked at the crumbled Avatar on the ground and sighed.

"You couldn't just allow me to kill you then, could you? You have just prolonged your death _Avatar_ Lorca. You will die painfully, and I _won't_ be losing sleep tonight." Once again, he took slow, deliberate steps towards her. Lorca scrambled back, somehow staying alive despite her injuries, but she knew that she would die soon. She closed her eyes, now just relying on touch the more she scooted back as she tried to concentrate.

_Hey yeah err…other Avatars? I know I haven't tried to keep in touch with all of you guys lately and I'm truly sorry about that but now I _really _need to get into the Avatar State because I'm about to die…Hello?_ Nothing came to her, no otherworldly source of power, and Lorca's mind went blank as panic put up a fuss. She was going to die and the other Avatarsweren't going to help her. Boa cleared his throat and Lorca opened her eyes. He was standing a few feet away.

"Arise and meet your fate." He commanded. She did as he requested, black suns blooming in front of her. She stood her ground and took out a small knife. Boa charged at her suddenly and Lorca rushed at him with slow, staggering steps.

_I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die…_

* * *

"We must help her! Her foolish actions will cost us greatly!" Avatar Kyoshi bellowed. The entire Avatar's spirits flickered uneasily as their quiet murmuring rose to a fevered pitch. Avatar Aang stood up and clapped his hands. The sound rumbled like thunder and soon everyone fell silent.

"I've been trying to make contact with her, but she is so blocked off from the Spirit World that it is virtually impossible." Aang announced. There were outrages cries and the spirits flickered in and out of existence slowly. A tremor in the ground stopped everyone from exploding, and suddenly giant flocks of birds were fleeing the vicinity as trees, as old as time itself, started to drop to the ground. The Avatars cried out in alarm but were ultimately safe in their pavilion.

"We must remain calm!" Avatar Roku advised. His voice carried and everyone lapsed into a terse and strained silence.

"What do you suppose we do?" Avatar Kyoshi asked after a time. Aang looked up towards the sky in contemplation. Whole migrations of birds and other flying creatures were clouding the air as they tried to escape. Trees and plants on the ground below were slowly withering away as the last of the Avatars was losing her fight in the real world. He sighed, and then looked at the rest of his companions. There were varying emotions on all their faces but one thing was consistent; they were all scared.

"We must send out the Elements." Aang said. The mood shifted from one of anxiousness to one of contemplation.

"That is a great risk, Aang." Avatar Roku said slowly. "They might become scattered in the world, and that will truly be the last of the Avatar Cycle."

"It's the only chance that we have of even _saving_ the Spirit World and the Cycle." Aang argued. A few people murmured in disagreement but it seemed as though the majority was on his side. He looked toward his mentor, Avatar Roku, and the elder spirit gave him a nod. Aang nodded back and then closed his eyes. The others followed his example and a sudden calm came over the pavilion. Their bodies glowed white. Four white orbs rose from everyone and floated into the air, congregating into a giant orb before it split off once again into four orbs, now colored. The red, green, blue and white orbs quivered a bit before shooting into the sky, disappearing into the real world. The spirits slumped over simultaneously, their energy spent. Aang lay on his back slowly, feeling himself become weaker, even in his spirit state. He watched as the orbs disappeared and sighed, closing his eyes.

_I hope they find good incarnations…They are our last hope…_

That was the last thought that he had.


	2. Chapter 2

The Last Elements

Chapter 1

The youth slunk through the throngs of vendors, trying to keep his eyes on his target. The old man shuffled forward slowly, ignoring the cries of startled folk as he simply pushed his way past. The senior citizen would constantly glance behind him as well so Maka had to duck behind crates or bump into older people. They would glance at him suspiciously and go to call the guards, but when they tried to point him out, he would be long gone, stalking again. A few times guards would begin to follow him and he had to divert from his goal, acting innocent. They would leave him be and he cursed, trying to find the old man again.

Finally, just when Maka was about to give up, he spotted the old man bending over a cart, examining cabbages. Maka slunk up behind him through a flock of women carrying baskets on their heads. He could see the change bag, the coins inside tinkling merrily whenever he moved. He knew at least half of that bag was filled with gold coins; he could hear it. Maka stepped carefully, coming up besides him. His target glanced at him and gave him that suspicious look that seemed common whenever anyone gazed upon him. With his dirty brown hair tied in a low ponytail and green eyes that simply sparkled with mischief, he supposed that would happen. His clothes were dirty and often too large for him and mostly everyone seemed to assume that he was a street urchin and as the myth goes, street urchins are nothing but trouble.

Maka ignored his gaze, trying to look as interested in the cabbages as possibly. The old man seemed satisfied with his façade for he stopped gazing at him and returned to turning over a particularly spotted and wrinkled one over in his palms. It resembled his hands. Maka could see the bag on the man's hip and with subtle hands he took out the tiny black rock that he had sharpened. With the edge of the rock he began to carefully saw the single thread that attached the bag to the man's belt. Soon the change bag was falling and Maka grabbed it, not caring if the guards saw him stealing it. The Fire Nation guards were slow in their armor so Maka could make a getaway before they even knew what was happening. The old man could apparently see what was going on out of the corner of his eye since he grabbed onto Maka's right forearm before he could escape. His grip was surprisingly strong for someone who could pass as his great-grandfather.

"Guards! Guards! Thief!" He yelled out. The vendor behind the cart had long since fled and had taken his basket full of cabbages with him and a slow developing circle was forming around him and the guy. Maka struggled, just now realizing what kind of trouble he would be. He clawed at the fingers holding his arm but the elder would not relinquish his hold. He was still calling and distantly Maka could hear the sounds of heavy metal boots stomping on the ground. He struggled one last time, change bag giggling in the hand that was trapped. The old man had not made a move to grab it. Maka sighed, the feeling known as guilt making his stomach turn inside out as he rose up his left hand, the one holding the rock, and crashed the blunt edge of the rock upon the old man's temple. He staggered from the blow, releasing his grip and tumbling to the ground.

Maka did not wait to see if the man would get up or not. He turned around and fled, finding an easy escape route through the quickly thinning circle. They did not want to be involved when the guards came. They didn't have to worry about being captured and so Maka felt deep envy for all of them. Of course, this whole situation wouldn't be if Maka hadn't stolen in the first place, but these seemed like minor details. In fact, everything seemed like minor details when he was running. He knocked over carts and barrels in his haste to escape and he could hear the guards stumbling over the obstacles, quickly catching up to him.

Maka spared a glance behind him and cursed. These were not the normally clumsy and military issued Fire Nation guards with armor that more resembled tanks. These were higher graded guards with light weight armor and fire whips. They cracked their whips in his direction and Maka nearly avoided being singed to a crisp by another cart. Luckily this one was filled with canisters of water and so Maka had a few more minutes to make his escape.

Sprinting out of the market place he made his way out of the area completely. High walls and smooth compact streets melted away to grassy fields and dirt roads as Maka ran, the change bag still jingling in his hand. He could see the mountain range in the distance and sprinted even faster, seeing the hovel that he shared with his mother hidden behind two massive boulders. He slowed down in front of the door, opening it slowly. The dark one room was slowly filled with light and in the corner Maka could see his mother on the cot, her entire body being covered by a thin sheet.

"Maka? Is that you?" She called out weakly. Lifting the sheet away from her face, Rein looked at her son. Even with her pale, sickly face and bloodshot eyes, she still managed to make Maka squirm with just one look. "Close the door." She ordered. Immediately he stepped inside and did as he was told.

"I brought money." He said, holding up the bag. His mother's eyes widened in shock and she leaned forward, about to say something but instead erupted into a fit of couching. Instantly Maka was at her side, rubbing her back, stopping as soon as she was alright. With speed that surprised him, she snatched the bag right out of his hand, her arm drooping because of the weight. She sat up, pouring the gold and silver collection onto the cot. For a time she did not speak.

"Did you steal this?" She asked quietly. Maka snapped out of the trance that he was in, looking at her in a surprised manner.

"Huh?"

_"Did you steal this?!"_ She repeated sharply, looking up at him with eyes that were brimming with tears. Maka stepped back, startled by her sudden display of emotion and he wouldn't answer her. She collected all the coins quickly and threw the weighed felt bag at his chest. He suppressed a grunt at the weight when the bag hit him, then another one when the bag fell to the floor and onto his feet.

"Take it back." She ordered. The pain and disappointment inside her voice hurt a thousand times more than the bag and Maka didn't dare look at her as he bent down to pick it up, afraid that if he did he would shatter. After he picked up the bag he slowly trudged his way to the door, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. He slowly stepped outside, squinting at the bright sunlight as he closed the door again.

He had only just started to walk back when he heard heavy footsteps coming up the path to his house. Ducking behind one of the boulders that marked the end of his property, Maka could see Fire Nation soldiers making their way towards him. Cursing, Maka ran back the way he came, running past his house and not even noticing when he dropped the change bag in his haste to escape.

He ran around several corners, about to enter his backyard—a series of badgermole tunnels—when he realized that he couldn't hear the heavy stomping of their boots.

That's when he heard a woman scream, and ice ran through his veins.

He felt like he was flying as he dashed back to his house, praying mentally that he hadn't heard his mother scream. What he saw made anger melt the ice in his veins and made his blood boil.

His mother was being forcefully dragged out of the doorway by two guards. She was weak, they could clearly see that, yet they did not treat her gently and that's what mad Maka madder. Acting quickly, he picked up a rock and threw it at the closest guard, the rock repelling off the armor with a _'plink'_ the guard, and three more, turned around to face and him and broke of from their group to pursue him, who took the same route and getting to the badgermole tunnels quickly. He could hear them behind him and coming up so Maka choose a random tunnel and dove right into it, narrowly missing a jet of flame. He tumbled into the darkness, falling head over heels and then heels over head until he landed at the bottom, not knowing which way was up or down, left or right, only knowing that he was surrounded by darkness and silence. Vaguely he could feel the vibrations of the Fire Nation soldiers trying to come inside, but he ignored it as he straightened himself out, pretty sure that he was lying on his stomach.

After a while, Maka could feel the vibrations stop. Brushing away clumps of dirt that had fallen on him, Maka slowly started to get up when he was stopped by one huge vibration that rocked him to his core. Pounds worth of dirt collapsed on top of him and Maka screamed at all the weight. _What the hell are they doing?! _He thought as more earth came down on him, crushing his lungs. He tried to claw at least some of the dirt off but it felt as though concrete slabs were on his chest. He couldn't breathe and he was going to die and no one would know about it and what would happen to his mother…?

Suddenly, just when he was exhaling for the last time, a green ball of light floated to him. At first he thought that he was, for some reason, imaging glow flies and stared at the ball, knowing that was the last thing that he was going to see. Then the light got closer, and closer, and closer until all he could see was the light and he realized that he was dead.

_Begin a new life, Maka. Your time has not come yet. As your Element is Rebirth, breathe in the ashes of your past life and breathe out anew._ A deep, feminine voice said to him. It sounded like his mother…before….before…

And then he couldn't think anymore.


End file.
